The First 4 Hours: The Importance of Utilizing Professional Assistance on Day 1 of Match Week

While you can click to view the full timeline for the Post-Match SOAP® here, it’s truly important residency candidates understand the tricky timing and limited nature of the Monday of Match Week.

One of two things with happen, Monday, March 11, 2019. Either you will be Fully Matched, or you remain Unmatched/Partially Matched. If the first option happens, you can pop open a bottle of champagne and kick back until Match Day on Friday, March 18th. However, if the second option happens, you will be thrown into the Post-Match SOAP without a life vest.

To Summarize:

Time

What Residency Candidates Should Be Doing

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (EST)

Research Time

Check your Match Status

If not Fully Matched: Review the List of Unfilled Programs on NRMP’s® R3® System and decide which programs to pick based on personal preferences and fulfillment of program’s criteria requirements

2 p.m. to 3 p.m. (EST)

The Golden Hour

Assign documents to your chosen programs

Review your 45 program application choices and make sure they are STRONG**

Apply to programs when you are sure you’re ready

3 p.m. (EST)

Application Release

Continue applying to the 45 programs that you assigned documents (ERAS® will release the prepared applications)

**STRONG program choices are those in specialties you have the right, specialty-specific documents for (Personal Statement, Letters of Recommendation, etc.) and you fulfill the program’s application requirements.

As you can see, the first 4 hours of the first day of Match Week are time sensitiveandlimited. Unlike the regular Match Season with unlimited program applications, you are only allowed 45 maximum applications. You will need to squeeze a month’s worth of research into the first 3 hours in order to make the most of those 45 applications.

For Example:

Applicant A is an IMG who did not Match in the Main Residency Match®. They are prepared to apply to preliminary Internal Medicine programs and Family Medicine programs by having the right, specialty specific documents. Hypothetically, there are 40 programs in Internal Medicine and 60 programs in Family Medicine. This is far more than they are allowed to apply to so Applicant A must make their choices wisely. Applicant A wants to focus on IMG Friendly programs that they have the right credentials to apply. But, there is NO WAY for Applicant A to visit 100 program websites and assign documents to their program choices in the time allotted. Applicant A ran out of time to research and applied randomly. They were immediately filtered out of 10 of their program choices and their SOAP chances were hurt very badly.

Applicant B is also an IMG participating in SOAP and aiming for preliminary Internal Medicine programs and Family Medicine programs. However, Applicant B was aware of the time sensitivity and decided to seek professional research help. Applicant B registered for Electronic Residency and activated the Internal Medicine and Family Medicine specialties. By simply searching with the 10-digit ACGME code or surfing by specialty, Applicant B was able to identify 45 strong, compatible programs to apply to in plenty of time.

With a limited amount of program applications you can send out, each program choice you make must be golden. But, it is almost impossible to make well-informed choices in the time allowed and many applicants end up applying blindly to incompatible programs. Fortunately, services exist to help you complete your program research instantly.

Check out: http://www.ElectronicResidency.com/ to learn about the SOAP, and see what the power of the right help can do to relieve stress and strengthen your Post-Match chances.

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NATIONAL RESIDENT MATCHING PROGRAM®, NRMP®, SUPPLEMENTAL OFFER AND ACCEPTANCE PROGRAM®, and SOAP® are registered trademarks of National Resident Matching Program. Match A Resident is not sponsored by, endorsed by, or affiliated with National Resident Matching Program. THE MATCH™ is a trademark of National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®).